Salon Wanderlust | The Virgin king

[Salon Wanderlust: Travel with a passion]

T A B L E_T A L K
How do you save money when you travel? Share your tips for being a thrifty tourist in the Wanderlust area of Table Talk

___________________
Learn more about Richard Branson at BarnesandNoble.com
Buy Richard Branson's "Losing My Virginity" at BarnesandNoble.com
___________________

R E C E N T L Y
Miming Mexico
By Diane Weipert
A street artist unmasks the hard realities of daily life in Guanajuato
(12/09/98)
The cruise cocoon
By Zachary Karabell
A guest lecturer on a luxury Aegean voyage asks: Is this any way to see the world?
(12/08/98)
Desperately seeking e-mail
By Lisa Dreier
Finding Internet access in India is feasible, but not for the fainthearted
(12/06/98)
This week in travel Wanderlust's select guide to the top travel-related news stories from around the globe
(12/04/98)
In the driver's seat
By Dawn MacKeen
The smart alternative to renting, driveaways let you take someone else's car cross-country -- for free
(12/03/98)

Browse the
Wanderlust Feature archives

Wanderlust's Official
Travel Book Partner

THE VIRGIN KING | PAGE 1, 2, 3
- - - - - - - - - -
These words recall one of the most poignant passages in his book, a rare detour of introspection and doubt that coincided with his 40th birthday. "In your book, when you turn 40, for a short time you feel bewildered and despairing. You wonder what your life is all about, what you're doing with your life. You're 48 now, how do you feel these days about that?"
"Well, I think it is important to stand back and question what one is doing. But in the last four years, we've taken on 16,000 new people and we've moved into a lot of new businesses and set ourselves a lot of new challenges. I think some industries have changed completely because of us -- the financial service industry, for example. We're now trying to sort out Britain's trains, which are an absolute mess, and I think we can create the best train network in the world in Britain. And so, to be in the position to do something like that and not to do it would be a mistake, I think."
"But there are so many things to do. How do you choose which ones?"
"We basically look at which businesses we think are taking the consumer for a ride, which are making excess profits. We ask: Can we do it differently than they are doing it? Is there a real reason for us to enter into that business? Will it enhance the Virgin reputation or not? Will we have fun doing it? Will we learn a lot from doing it?
"Right now we're looking at the telecommunications industry, which is obviously enormously profitable, and they're selling mobile phones that could be frying people's brains. I think there is possibly a scandal in the making there, and I think the industry knows that. So, one needs safe mobile phones -- and with the kinds of margins being made, we think that is the sort of industry that we could go in and make a difference.
"Or the pharmaceutical industry. I mean, that's gigantically profitable. They charge the National Health Service in Britain a fortune for the drugs. We haven't decided, but maybe that could be the kind of industry where we could attract a bunch of young guys and move in and offer it to the NHS at much better prices.
"Our philosophy is to have some companies which we run on a nonprofit basis -- like Mates condoms -- where all the profits go back to good causes, and other companies where we can offer much better value for money and enhance the Virgin name. We hope we can make a decent profit at the end of the day with these companies, and that will enable us to employ more people and take on another industry."
It's the same mantra that runs through his book: Don't be afraid of the big guys; if you can do something better than them, do it. And as he talks, his eyes flash, and electricity fairly crackles around him.
People love Branson because he seems to be on the side of the common man. He's not afraid to take on the British Airways and Coca-Colas of the world. He seems to have his values in order -- "I am convinced that companies should put staff first, customers second and shareholders third -- ultimately that's in the best interest of customers and shareholders," he has said. And he cherishes what we all cherish -- good service, quality, value, innovation, fair dealing, doing something better. And if he's made billions because of it? Well, more power to him.
The other thing people love about Branson is his sense of showmanship and fun. Not only does he hobnob with royalty and rock stars, but he seems to have such a good time doing it -- and he's never afraid to poke fun at himself in the process.
"You describe in your book the first time you gave a public speech: You were so embarrassed that you could hardly speak. Now so much of what Virgin has become -- at least in the public mind -- is tied up with you as a maker of spectacular stunts. How did you grow from the person who couldn't face a crowd to the person who is willing to do just about anything outlandish if it's for the right cause?"
"I had to train myself into it. I still get horribly nervous before certain situations. Recently I was on the Jay Leno show and I got really, really nervous. But when I was a child, I remember my mother saying, 'Being nervous is a selfish condition. You have to think about other people, don't think about yourself.' I try to remember those words occasionally. What I taught myself is that if one does something zany and fun to promote a new product, if it makes people smile, then it is worth doing. Most promotional events for new businesses -- if you're proud of the business, you might as well get out and let people know about it. Of course, sometimes I have maybe gone a bit too far."
"When did you go too far?"
"In launching my new book, the Sun newspaper came over the other day and said, 'Come on, Richard. Off with your clothes, and shove the book in front of your willy and let's take a picture.' I told them the book wasn't big enough, but anyway, they persuaded me to do it. So it was on the front page, in front of 5 million people the following day. And of course they picked a story about wife-swapping to go alongside it. Then Business Week in America picked it up. Hopefully, this makes people smile -- so I think it passes the test. But I'd rather have a 20-year-old's body than a 48-year-old's body."
"Is there any promotion you're particularly fond of?"
Suddenly he is waving his knife like a wizard's wand in the air. "Well, it's not really a promotion, but on April the first every year we like to do a fun April Fool's joke on the nation. Some years ago we built a UFO which was the best looking UFO you've ever seen -- it was completely saucer-shaped, and it had a glow, and little lights that flickered. We took off at 4 early that morning, and flew over London. We had three police forces and the army all out on alert, all the radio stations were clicking into it, and on all the motorways, as people were coming in to work, every single car had stopped. Everybody was out looking up at this thing; nothing was moving. We landed in a field. The police surrounded the field. It was a misty morning. This guy with his truncheon came towards the aircraft. We had an ET door that opened up and smoke coming out. We had a midget in this ET outfit, who walked out, and this English bobby with his truncheon just tore off in the other direction!
"That was good. And when Pepsi launched their blue can in England, we found out when they were going to do their big launch event and on that same day, we took out full-page ads in all the newspapers with the Virgin can in blue and these words underneath: 'Special warning: If the can turns blue, the cola's flat.'"
He smiles that wide, white smile, and the air crackles again -- and the mischievous child never too far beneath the surface reemerges. How could anyone resist that spirit?
One of the most striking aspects of Branson's success is how closely allied he has become with the Virgin image. In a sense, it's a seamless integration: Whenever the CEO gets publicity -- whether it's by ballooning over an ocean or spraying champagne on new Virgin flight attendants at a graduation ceremony or driving a tank into Times Square, as he did to celebrate the U.S. launch of Virgin Cola -- it's publicity for the Virgin brand. But can even a promotional genius like Branson keep such a far-stretched brand from snapping?
N E X T+P A G E | Signing the Sex Pistols and defying death in a hot-air balloon

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Become a Salon member. Click here.


	T A B L E_T A L K How do you save money when you travel? Share your tips for being a thrifty tourist in the Wanderlust area of Table Talk ___________________ Learn more about Richard Branson at BarnesandNoble.com Buy Richard Branson's "Losing My Virginity" at BarnesandNoble.com ___________________ R E C E N T L Y Miming Mexico By Diane Weipert A street artist unmasks the hard realities of daily life in Guanajuato (12/09/98) The cruise cocoon By Zachary Karabell A guest lecturer on a luxury Aegean voyage asks: Is this any way to see the world? (12/08/98) Desperately seeking e-mail By Lisa Dreier Finding Internet access in India is feasible, but not for the fainthearted (12/06/98) This week in travel Wanderlust's select guide to the top travel-related news stories from around the globe (12/04/98) In the driver's seat By Dawn MacKeen The smart alternative to renting, driveaways let you take someone else's car cross-country -- for free (12/03/98) Browse the Wanderlust Feature archives Wanderlust's Official Travel Book Partner		THE VIRGIN KING \| PAGE 1, 2, 3 - - - - - - - - - - These words recall one of the most poignant passages in his book, a rare detour of introspection and doubt that coincided with his 40th birthday. "In your book, when you turn 40, for a short time you feel bewildered and despairing. You wonder what your life is all about, what you're doing with your life. You're 48 now, how do you feel these days about that?" "Well, I think it is important to stand back and question what one is doing. But in the last four years, we've taken on 16,000 new people and we've moved into a lot of new businesses and set ourselves a lot of new challenges. I think some industries have changed completely because of us -- the financial service industry, for example. We're now trying to sort out Britain's trains, which are an absolute mess, and I think we can create the best train network in the world in Britain. And so, to be in the position to do something like that and not to do it would be a mistake, I think." "But there are so many things to do. How do you choose which ones?" "We basically look at which businesses we think are taking the consumer for a ride, which are making excess profits. We ask: Can we do it differently than they are doing it? Is there a real reason for us to enter into that business? Will it enhance the Virgin reputation or not? Will we have fun doing it? Will we learn a lot from doing it? "Right now we're looking at the telecommunications industry, which is obviously enormously profitable, and they're selling mobile phones that could be frying people's brains. I think there is possibly a scandal in the making there, and I think the industry knows that. So, one needs safe mobile phones -- and with the kinds of margins being made, we think that is the sort of industry that we could go in and make a difference. "Or the pharmaceutical industry. I mean, that's gigantically profitable. They charge the National Health Service in Britain a fortune for the drugs. We haven't decided, but maybe that could be the kind of industry where we could attract a bunch of young guys and move in and offer it to the NHS at much better prices. "Our philosophy is to have some companies which we run on a nonprofit basis -- like Mates condoms -- where all the profits go back to good causes, and other companies where we can offer much better value for money and enhance the Virgin name. We hope we can make a decent profit at the end of the day with these companies, and that will enable us to employ more people and take on another industry." It's the same mantra that runs through his book: Don't be afraid of the big guys; if you can do something better than them, do it. And as he talks, his eyes flash, and electricity fairly crackles around him. People love Branson because he seems to be on the side of the common man. He's not afraid to take on the British Airways and Coca-Colas of the world. He seems to have his values in order -- "I am convinced that companies should put staff first, customers second and shareholders third -- ultimately that's in the best interest of customers and shareholders," he has said. And he cherishes what we all cherish -- good service, quality, value, innovation, fair dealing, doing something better. And if he's made billions because of it? Well, more power to him. The other thing people love about Branson is his sense of showmanship and fun. Not only does he hobnob with royalty and rock stars, but he seems to have such a good time doing it -- and he's never afraid to poke fun at himself in the process. "You describe in your book the first time you gave a public speech: You were so embarrassed that you could hardly speak. Now so much of what Virgin has become -- at least in the public mind -- is tied up with you as a maker of spectacular stunts. How did you grow from the person who couldn't face a crowd to the person who is willing to do just about anything outlandish if it's for the right cause?" "I had to train myself into it. I still get horribly nervous before certain situations. Recently I was on the Jay Leno show and I got really, really nervous. But when I was a child, I remember my mother saying, 'Being nervous is a selfish condition. You have to think about other people, don't think about yourself.' I try to remember those words occasionally. What I taught myself is that if one does something zany and fun to promote a new product, if it makes people smile, then it is worth doing. Most promotional events for new businesses -- if you're proud of the business, you might as well get out and let people know about it. Of course, sometimes I have maybe gone a bit too far." "When did you go too far?" "In launching my new book, the Sun newspaper came over the other day and said, 'Come on, Richard. Off with your clothes, and shove the book in front of your willy and let's take a picture.' I told them the book wasn't big enough, but anyway, they persuaded me to do it. So it was on the front page, in front of 5 million people the following day. And of course they picked a story about wife-swapping to go alongside it. Then Business Week in America picked it up. Hopefully, this makes people smile -- so I think it passes the test. But I'd rather have a 20-year-old's body than a 48-year-old's body." "Is there any promotion you're particularly fond of?" Suddenly he is waving his knife like a wizard's wand in the air. "Well, it's not really a promotion, but on April the first every year we like to do a fun April Fool's joke on the nation. Some years ago we built a UFO which was the best looking UFO you've ever seen -- it was completely saucer-shaped, and it had a glow, and little lights that flickered. We took off at 4 early that morning, and flew over London. We had three police forces and the army all out on alert, all the radio stations were clicking into it, and on all the motorways, as people were coming in to work, every single car had stopped. Everybody was out looking up at this thing; nothing was moving. We landed in a field. The police surrounded the field. It was a misty morning. This guy with his truncheon came towards the aircraft. We had an ET door that opened up and smoke coming out. We had a midget in this ET outfit, who walked out, and this English bobby with his truncheon just tore off in the other direction! "That was good. And when Pepsi launched their blue can in England, we found out when they were going to do their big launch event and on that same day, we took out full-page ads in all the newspapers with the Virgin can in blue and these words underneath: 'Special warning: If the can turns blue, the cola's flat.'" He smiles that wide, white smile, and the air crackles again -- and the mischievous child never too far beneath the surface reemerges. How could anyone resist that spirit? One of the most striking aspects of Branson's success is how closely allied he has become with the Virgin image. In a sense, it's a seamless integration: Whenever the CEO gets publicity -- whether it's by ballooning over an ocean or spraying champagne on new Virgin flight attendants at a graduation ceremony or driving a tank into Times Square, as he did to celebrate the U.S. launch of Virgin Cola -- it's publicity for the Virgin brand. But can even a promotional genius like Branson keep such a far-stretched brand from snapping? N E X T+P A G E \| Signing the Sex Pistols and defying death in a hot-air balloon - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Become a Salon member. Click here.